The early farmers, who, among other things, cultivated crops, raised livestock, made ceramic containers (pots), mined ore and smelted metals, occurred in this area between AD 400 and AD 1100 and brought the Early Iron Age to South Africa.

They settled in semi-permanent villages, having migrated from the lowveld and coastal areas to the higher regions in the interior during the latter part of the Early Iron Age.

Broederstroom is an important early settlement site,  with evidence of iron smelting and working.  Sites were found within 100m of water, either on a riverbank or at the confluence of streams. The close proximity to streams meant that the sites were often located on nutrient rich alluvial soils , good for agriculture. The availability of floodplains and naturally wetter soils would have been important for the practice of dryland farming.

The village of Broederstroom was founded in 1903 with the opening of a trading post in the area by the Jallapor family.  The family still operated a business in Broederstroom 100 years later.

Broederstroom is situated south of the Hartebeespoort Dam and west of Pelindaba.